After Dawn
by DatNuttyKid
Summary: The war between Hoshido and Nohr has come to an end following King Garon's demise at the hands of the Hoshidan army. But as the people begin to heal from the burden of war and settle back into peace, the real threat still looms on the horizon. (Post-Birthright. Spoilers for all three routes. Rated T for death and other dark themes.)
1. Chapter 1

**This story is continuing from the eleventh chapter of my other** _ **Fire Emblem**_ **story, "Fates of a Family". However, since "Fates of a Family" is just a series of one-shots based on the plot of** _ **Birthright**_ **, it shouldn't be mandatory to read that, too. Though I would, of course, appreciate the readers, lol.**

 **But for some clarity: Nobu is the male Avatar. Minori, Ippei, Jitaro, and Manfred are generic units; a shrine maiden, a samurai, an archer, and an outlaw, respectively. Robin is the male avatar from** _ **Awakening**_ **(or, possibly,** _ **Super Smash Bros.**_ **) who mysteriously arrived and joined the army. Every other character is from** _ **Fire Emblem Fates**_ **. Obviously.**

 **Let me know what you think - leave a review! I hope you enjoy!**

The service was incredibly dull; mostly political blather pre-written and turned into a tradition some centuries prior which Leo had no choice but to repeat. When he finished, everyone was asked to come up to the front to pay their respects. Camilla, understandably, broke down, though her retainers and Nobu were close by to comfort her and help her out of the room. Sakura was also sobbing by the time the Hoshidan royals made it out of the room; not only for the sake of Azura but out of compassion for Camilla and Leo.

Although his home was now Hoshido, Nobu had decided ahead of time that he would need to spend the weekend after the funeral in Nohr with his other siblings. The Hoshidans were understanding; the loss of their sister was horrible and they could only imagine how hard it must be on Camilla and Leo to lose both their brother and sister and especially on Nobu to lose all three.

Camilla had prepared in advance for Nobu, completely redecorating the Northern Fortress for herself, Nobu, and Leo to spend the nights in together. Felicia, Jakob, and Kaze stayed, too, as was their duty as his retainers; by the time the royals left the funeral, Jakob had tea ready for all of them.

"I'm so happy that we still have this," Camilla said, breaking the deafening silence as Leo and Nobu each sipped their tea. "After everything that has happened… at least we can still be a family." Selena and Beruka winced from a short distance away as Camilla sniffled.

"I'm glad, too," Nobu agreed. "It's… it's what Elise wanted. It's what we all wanted. Peace."

Leo nodded. "If only the price wasn't so high."

Silence briefly returned to the room before Camilla again broke it. "Well, I've had just about enough sadness for one night. Let's be positive for a bit. Nobu, how is life in Hoshido?"

The surrounding retainers were relieved as each royal was soon smiling as they talked. Eventually, Camilla and Nobu insisted that the group join them for a cup of tea and Jakob and Felicia eventually left to make the beds, though Kaze, Selena, Beruka, Odin, and Niles returned to guarding the room. It was better than the alternative - dealing with the emotions they themselves did not quite understand.

Selena and Odin caught each other's eye from across the room. Neither had spoken since the war ended and the tension was unbearable. After a few moments of communicating only through their shared gaze, Selena stepped forward. "Excuse me, Lady Camilla and Lord Leo, may I have a moment outside with Odin?"

Camilla and Leo looked confused but nodded their approval. Niles and Beruka watched as their companions left.

…

"Do you think it's time?" Odin asked, dropping his dramatic flair, once they were in the cool air of nighttime Nohr.

Selena didn't answer immediately. The truth was, her name was not Selena, nor was her companion's Odin. They were Severa and Owain of a kingdom far away - not only in distance but in time and space - brought to Nohr by a powerful sorcerer to keep an eye on Nobu. They had always discussed that their duties would end along with the war, but now that the time had come, it seemed… wrong. "I don't know," Selena finally muttered. "Anankos's… the dragon. Isn't it still out there, somewhere?"

Odin frowned. "Perhaps. Didn't Nobu say King Garon turned into a dragon?"

"He did." They didn't discuss what this might or might not mean and instead stood silently, staring into the distance. The peaceful sounds of the night were interrupted by approaching footsteps from Castle Krakenburg. Odin and Selena both turned their heads to see who was heading towards them.

"Laslow," Selena greeted in a soft whisper.

Their gray-haired companion was somber in his approach. His irregular demeanor didn't surprise either of them; not only had they not spoken since before the war ended, but they hadn't even seen Laslow since before the battle where…

"I-I failed," he choked out. In a rare show of compassion, Selena pulled Laslow to her shoulder and let him cry.

…

Nobu didn't sleep much that night. The weight of the war was heavy on his shoulders. Elise, Xander, and Azura were far from the only casualties and Nobu felt deeply even for the Nohrian soldiers slain in battle. He blamed himself for starting the war, for abandoning his family… for picking a side. How differently would things have gone if he had sided with the people who raised him? Or if he had refused to choose at all? Maybe they could have all been a family together.

"Lord Nobu?" a soft voice called as he tiptoed into the kitchen to have some leftover tea to calm his nerves. He whirled to see Felicia standing drowsily at the door. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm sorry for waking you," he answered. "Just needed some tea to help me sleep."

Felicia rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "That tea is cold. Let me brew you some fresh."

"That's not necessary-" Nobu attempted to protest, though he quickly realized it was futile. "…Thank you."

"You shouldn't blame yourself," Felicia said after briefly working quietly. Nobu tensed up, wondering momentarily if Felicia had read his mind.

"I know."

"Do you know how much all of us worry about you?"

"I'm sorry to be a burden."

She glared at him. "That's not what I mean and you know it." Her gaze softened as she handed him a fresh cup of tea. "It's not healthy to be so hard on yourself. Let us help." Nobu sighed, staring at the steaming cup. "Do you need to talk?"

He paused to consider her offer. "…You'd better brew yourself a cup, too."

…

Oboro stared blankly at the papers scattered in front of her. She had been reading, stamping, and signing for hours now and her eyes were burning from the sight of black text on a white page. She was also fairly certain that she had become illiterate.

"Is there a problem, milady?" a calm voice asked. Her gaze rose to land on Yukimura, the country of Hoshido's chief tactician. What Oboro hadn't realized before the war was that he was also one of its best politicians. Now that she was the country's queen, he had taken it upon himself to teach her how to handle her duties.

"Uh, yeah," she replied, looking back at the papers. "What is… _actus reus_?"

"Ah. Latin. It means 'guilty act'." Oboro nodded and reread the sentence a few times. It still didn't make any sense. "Any other questions?"

"Yes, I just need your help deciphering…" She lifted up a stack of papers. "…these forty pages."

To her surprise, Yukimura smiled and began to eagerly explain every term on each of the pages. It didn't take long for her to tune him out. During the war, she had found herself falling in love with Prince Ryoma for, at least in her opinion, fairly obvious reasons. But when she had agreed to his proposal, it never quite occurred to her what she had signed up for.

"Are you listening, milady?"

Oboro stared at him blankly. "…No."

Yukimura stifled a frustrated sigh and flipped back to the first page to dive back into his explanation. Oboro let her face hit the desk.

…

Shigure wasn't sure where he was headed. All he knew was that he had to get away. In fact, he wasn't really sure what he had to get away from; having his brother and father around was certainly comforting given the circumstances. But something was pulling him elsewhere.

He began to whistle as he walked, the tune he chose fairly obvious. It was the only song that he could bring himself to sing. Anything else felt like a stain on his mother's memory.

In his pocket, a pale blue stone began to glow. He reached for it, cradling it in his hands. It had been brought to the family by Robin after the battle against Garon and Hinata had let Shigure keep it. As he stared into it, whistling the song, he found himself lost in its glimmer and paid little attention to where he was walking until he was suddenly pulled back to reality by a familiar voice shouting, "Shigure! Stop!"

He lifted his head and suddenly froze as he realized he was standing at the edge of the Bottomless Canyon, mere inches from plummeting to what surely would have been his doom. Taking a moment to still his beating heart, he then proceeded to look in the direction of the voice, spotting Caeldori, his girlfriend, on her pegasus dashing to catch up. "Caeldori, what are you doing here?"

"I saw you walking during my training session and got worried when you didn't respond to me," she answered, grabbing his hand and pulling him up away from the canyon and onto her pegasus's back. "I'm glad I followed you! You could've killed yourself."

"Sorry, I'm not sure what got into me," he said sheepishly as the pegasus began to walk back towards Hoshido.

Caeldori sat quietly for a moment, looking over her shoulder into his eyes. "You were thinking about your mother again, weren't you?"

He broke eye contact. "Yes."

"Well, next time you start thinking about her like that, come talk to me or your brother or your dad instead of walking without looking where you're going, okay?" She lifted his chin with her fingers, bringing their gaze together again. "I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you."

"Thank you," he said, a faint blush appearing on his cheeks. "I'm sorry for worrying you." They smiled at each other for a long while before Caeldori's pegasus nickered, signaling that they were far enough away from the Bottomless Canyon that there was no longer any concern of being struck down by lightning. Caeldori turned back to guide her steed in a safe flight path back home.

As they took to the skies, Shigure found himself looking over his shoulder at the canyon, his thoughts becoming muddled as he felt almost drawn to the location. He shook his head and turned back around, wrapping his arms around Caeldori for stability, though the feeling that he needed to be there still lingered…

 **There you have it, Chapter 1 complete! I'm really excited to get into the meat of this plot so I might be updating it more than my other stories. No promises, though, lol. And we'll probably spend at least one more chapter looking at how the characters' lives are post-** _ **Birthright**_ **before Anankos attacks. I'll also be bringing a couple of other cast members besides the playable characters (and the aforementioned Minori, Ippei, Jitaro, Manfred, and Robin) in. I'm really excited to tell their stories!**

 **Again, let me know what you think with a review! Even if it's negative, I really need the criticism so I can improve as a writer. Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2

Ryoma could hardly hold his eyes open as he stumbled back to the castle. Yukimura had asked him to lead training for the new recruits, but after so many hours of other kingly duties and very little sleep the night before, he was wiped out. Feeling a bit dizzy, he paused and put his hand to his forehead, wondering how far away the castle was.

"Lord Ryoma?" a familiar voice called, snapping him out of his stupor. Through his blurry vision, he identified the figure as Reina.

"Reina," he replied, forcing a smile. "It's good to see you again. I missed you at training this morning."

"Oh, yes, I'm sorry," the woman replied sheepishly. "I was… erm, working on something and lost track of time. I was just on my way to see you, actually." She paused and examined the king. "Are you alright? You look… pardon my bluntness, like a dead man walking."

Ryoma chuckled. "I feel like a dead man walking." He felt around behind him for a tree he was fairly certain was nearby and leaned against it. "I just have to get back to the castle…"

"I have some fruit," Reina offered. "That should help you feel better."

"Thank you." The king hungrily gobbled them up. Caring little for manners at this moment, he didn't wait to swallow before asking, "What is it you wanted to see me about?"

"Oh… Well," Reina took a deep breath. "I am… retiring."

This woke him up. "What?"

"I'm very sorry, but I think it's time that I settle down," she continued, avoiding eye contact. "I've been watching Kana for Lord Nobu and Lady Rinkah lately. And I think… I think I want to have my own family. If that's even an option for someone at my age…"

Ryoma nodded. "I understand. I'm very disappointed to see you go, though. You're a valuable soldier and a good friend."

"Thank you, King Ryoma," Reina replied, a grim smile on her face. "But don't worry, I'll still be around. Felicia and Yukimura have asked me to help with castle repairs, and I'll still be caring for Kana when Lord Nobu asks. And if you need anything else, I would be honored to help."

"Of course." Ryoma offered his hand to shake. "And thank you for the fruit. I do believe I'll be able to make it back to the castle now."

"Oh, don't mention it. Here - I have a few more. Take them."

"No, I couldn't," the king insisted. "You'll need lunch."

"I'm fine! I'm just going to speak with Yukimura, then I'll be going back home. Please, I insist."

Ryoma smiled. "Well, thank you. See you later, Reina."

"Yes, of course." Reina lingered to make sure Ryoma safely got on his feet and back on the path. As he disappeared from view, she turned back in the direction of the training grounds and continued her own journey. Despite her confidence when she engaged in the conversation with Ryoma, she was feeling a bit uncertain about her decision now.

…

"I'm home!" Nobu called as he entered the castle, his retainers close behind. The servants in the castle hurriedly gathered the prince's things as he watched, flustered and confused. When the cloud of workers cleared, he saw his wife standing with a smirk on her face. "Rinkah! I missed you so much," he said as he ran to embrace her.

"I missed you, too," she replied. As they pulled back, Rinkah's smirk was replaced with a look of concern. "How are you doing?"

Nobu scratched the back of his neck as Felicia, Kaze, and Jakob cleared out to help the servants unpack for the prince. "As well as could be expected, I guess."

"Well, if you're feeling up to it," Rinkah said, "Yukimura wanted me to tell you he needs you at the council meeting tonight. Hinoka won't be there, so he needs you to fill in." Nobu sighed, so Rinkah quickly added, "But only if you think you can. Someone else can attend otherwise."

"No, I'll be fine," Nobu insisted. "It might be nice to take my mind off of things." He looked around. "Where's Kana?"

"In her room," Rinkah replied. "She's been working on something all day but wouldn't show it to me."

"I'd better go see her before the meeting," Nobu remarked before making his way to the stairs.

Rinkah patted his shoulder as he walked past. "I have something I need to do, too," she informed him.

"What is it?" he asked, looking over his shoulder.

"Nothing important. Hayato wanted to talk." She shrugged. "I'll see you tonight, alright?"

Nobu nodded, yawned, then returned to his trek to Kana's room. Rinkah watched with a smile as he disappeared into the hallway. But as soon as she was alone, her face fell. As she stepped out of the castle gate, she removed the mask from her head and stared at it, a single steaming tear landing on it before she began to run.

…

Ryoma had finally arrived at the room and was starting to feel weary once more. He stripped out of his armor and donned a jinbei before stumbling into his bed.

"Dad!" A muffled groan snuck into his pillow as the heavy footsteps of his son approached, interrupting his attempted nap. "Thank goodness you're back," he continued, plopping a stack of papers onto Ryoma's desk. "I've had to handle all of your work while you were gone but there's some stuff I can't help with." Finally, Ryoma turned his head to look at his son. "Whoa. You okay? You look like-"

"A dead man walking. So I've heard." He shook his head before sitting up. "It's nothing huge, just some mild exhaustion. What do you need my help with?"

"Well, Nestra has invited us to attend a concert to celebrate the end of the war and the new peaceful relations between Hoshido and Nohr," Shiro explained, picking up the corresponding papers and handing them to Ryoma. "You have to fill out this information about everyone who will be attending and get it back to them by six o'clock. And don't forget the council meeting." Another stack of papers. "Here is the agenda. Uncle Nobu will be filling in for Aunt Hinoka while she's surveying the remains of the Flame Tribe camp. And-"

Ryoma looked up from the papers. "What? What happened to the Flame Tribe?"

Shiro's eyes widened. "You didn't hear?"

…

Rinkah stared at the smoking remains. Hayato, Subaki, and Hinoka stood close by. Fortunately, Hinoka knew better than to bring Setsuna and Azama along and was instead accompanied by other Hoshidan soldiers.

"There's no survivors, milady," Ippei reported.

The tension could be cut with a knife. As the soldiers continued to search the rubble, Hayato, Subaki, Hinoka, and Rinkah didn't move.

It was Subaki who finally broke the silence. "Should we send for Lord Nobu?"

"No," Rinkah answered quickly and firmly. "He doesn't need another burden. This is mine to carry."

"Rinkah, that's ridiculous," Hinoka argued. "He's your husband. He deserves to know."

"Know what?" the tanned survivor of the Flame Tribe asked, seething. "That this war led Nohr to wipe out my friends? So he can blame himself for someone else's suffering?" No one responded. They all knew she was right. "I'm fine. Can we just finish this survey so we can get the report to King Ryoma?"

Hinoka and Subaki quickly moved to do just that. Hayato hesitated, placing a hand on Rinkah's shoulder. "If you do need some help… We're here for you, okay?"

…

"No! It's not okay!"

Nobu crossed his arms and tapped his foot impatiently. He had been trying to get Kana to let him into her room for several minutes now, to little success.

"I'm not done yet!"

"What are you even doing?" he asked.

"It's a secret!"

He sighed. If there was one thing he knew about his daughter, it was that she was stubborn. Of course, she came by it honestly. "Well, how long will it take?"

"Um… Just a few more minutes!"

"I have to get to the council meeting, Kana!" She didn't respond. He sighed.

"Having some trouble?" Reina asked with a grin as she walked up behind Nobu. Caught off guard, the prince whirled around, but relaxed after seeing who it was.

"I just wanted to see her again," he said with a shrug. "Guess it'll have to wait until after the meeting."

Reina smiled and rolled her eyes before moving to tap on the door gently. "Kana? Why don't you come out here and say hi to your papa for Aunty Reina?" Nobu cocked an eyebrow as Reina's request was met with silence, followed shortly by the shuffle of footsteps and finally the door opening just a crack, enough for Kana to slip through before she shut it back.

"Fine," she said. "But you still can't see my surprise!"

Nobu rolled his eyes, ignoring Reina's proud smirk, before taking his daughter up in a tight hug. "I missed you so much! How's my little dragon girl?"

"I'm not a little girl anymore, Papa," Kana pouted.

"Maybe not," Nobu replied, not loosening his grip. "But you're still _my_ little girl."

"Papaaaaaa," the draconic princess whined. Nobu finally put her down. She held up the pouting façade for a moment before finally smiling. "I missed you, too, Papa."

"Well, I'd better get to the council meeting," Nobu said, removing Kana's Flame Tribe mask to ruffle her hair. "Oh, Reina, speaking of which… Rinkah is busy with Hayato, do you think you could watch Kana? I'm really sorry for the short notice."

"Of course," Reina answered. "I've got nothing but free time now that I'm retired."

"Retired?" Nobu and Kana asked simultaneously.

"Yes, I spoke with King Ryoma and Yukimura about it today," she explained briefly. "I can tell you more about it later, Lord Nobu, but don't you have someplace to be?"

"Of course," Nobu said, glancing out the window to check the time. "Don't want to be late. Thanks, Reina. Bye, Kana!"

Once he was gone, Reina turned to Kana. "So just what is this surprise you're working on?"

Kana's eye twinkled. "A surprise!" And she slammed the door in Reina's face.

…

Peri stared at the slaughtered bodies before her. Unsatisfied, she began to repeatedly stab one, sending the corpse's remaining blood splashing around her.

Finally, she was stopped when a small hand grabbed her wrist. "What is wrong with you?!" Nyx whispered angrily.

Peri shrugged. "They attacked us first."

Nyx rubbed her temples. Even though she looked like a young girl, Nyx was actually middle-aged, but a curse had trapped her in the body of a child for the rest of eternity. Shortly after the end of the war, Peri had left Castle Krakenburg out of remorse for her liege and began wandering the world, soon encountering Nyx who reluctantly allied herself with the cotton-candy-haired psycho. "That could hardly be considered an attack. They told us to hand over our money."

"Well, I didn't like their faces." Before Nyx could respond, the cry of a wyvern alerted her to someone approaching.

"Doesn't matter, let's hide," Nyx said, pushing Peri into the trees. Almost as soon as they were out of sight, Camilla and Beruka appeared overhead on their wyverns, Selena perched behind her liege.

"Look!" Selena shouted over the wind, pointing down.

Camilla and Beruka glanced down. "Looks like someone was attacked," Beruka remarked. Camilla guided her wyvern to land nearby the bodies of the bandits.

"Oh, Tarba," Camilla said with a light chuckle as the examined one of the corpses. "It was bound to happen to you eventually."

Beruka landed nearby. "Should we search for the culprits?"

"They're bandits, Beruka," Camilla answered. "Infamous ones at that. I'm sure it was self-defense."

"Not to question you, milady," Selena noted, "but there's been a wave of massacres in this area."

"They've all been bandits, though, Selena," Camilla reminded her redheaded retainer, patting her on the head. "I assure you, there's nothing to worry about. Come along, now. Leo will have our heads if we're late." With that, the three left. Once they were gone, Nyx and Peri emerged from hiding.

"You're going to get us both killed," Nyx scowled.

"I didn't ask you to come with me."

Nyx glared at her companion. "You're too dangerous to be on your own. Next time we're robbed, let me handle it." She turned on her heels and walked away. Peri, unnervingly indifferent, shrugged and followed her.

…

"…And because of that, I would recommend that we-" Yukimura's address was interrupted by a loud snore. The entire room's attention fell on King Ryoma, sitting slouched in his chair and sound asleep. A trickle of drool slipped down his chin.

Oboro's face turned bright red as she elbowed Ryoma in the side. "Ouch!" he groaned, snapping to attention. As soon as he realized what had happened, his face turned red, too. Shiro buried his face in his hands. "My apologies, Nobu. You were saying?"

"I finished my part several minutes ago…" Nobu said awkwardly.

"R-Right," Ryoma replied. He glanced at Oboro, who in turn indicated Yukimura. "I meant Yukimura. I'm sorry. Continue, Yukimura."

As Yukimura launched back into his speech, Kagero, who was responsible for taking notes, slipped a page from her notepad under the table to Ryoma. Ryoma subtly nodded his thanks to her.

"…In short, I believe it is best if we move funds from defense to repairs. With the war over, Hoshido will surely have a time of peace, but we must hurry these fixes before another attack comes. Thank you." Yukimura adjusted his glasses, then took a seat.

"Thank you, Yukimura," Ryoma said. "Next up… ah, yes. The Nestran concert…"

…

Layla practiced her steps yet again. This could be the most important performance of her life - she couldn't bear to mess it up.

"Layla, please, come to bed," her mother called from upstairs.

"I'm coming, mother!" she replied, but she went through the dance one last time. She was interrupted by a chuckle - her mother, Nahla, poked her head around the corner to watch.

"Just why are you so obsessed with your dance, anyway?" Nahla asked.

In all the excitement, Layla had almost forgotten to tell her mother. "I'm performing for the Hoshidan and Nohrian royal family tomorrow night! It has to be perfect."

"You used to perform for King Garon all the time," her mother noted.

"This is different," the dancer girl insisted. "This is a celebration of the end of the war and peace coming to the land at last. Nohr and Hoshido are allies now. It's a momentous occasion, and I have been chosen to lead the festivities. It's a great honor, mother."

"Yes, I'm sure," Nahla said, chuckling again. "But you'd better come get some sleep! If you're tired, it'll hinder your dancing."

"I know, mother," Layla sighed. "I just want to make sure I don't forget my steps. Nothing can go wrong tomorrow."

"I assure you, dear… Nothing will."

Layla smiled, pulling her hair out of her face, before going upstairs. As she laid down to sleep, her brain considered the possibilities of what might go wrong during her dance, as it always did the night before a performance. However, she would never have predicted what was to come.


	3. Chapter 3

Elsewhere…

In a strange kingdom, distorted and torn apart,and long kept secret from the peoples of Nohr and Hoshido…

A tall, elegant woman with long, black hair and wearing a flowing white dress made her way through a castle hallway.

The servants she passed were nothing like those of Hoshido or Nohr; they were formless, surrounded by purple flames, and stood perfectly and mysteriously still.

At the end of the hallway was a large, golden door, cracked down the middle. When the woman reached it, it swung open, revealing an enormous, masked dragon sitting at the end of the throne room.

"King Anankos," the woman said, kneeling.

"Why do you disturb me?"

The woman smiled and tilted her head up, a mischevious twinkle in her eye. "The time has almost come."

…

"I don't know how I feel about this," Takumi complained.

Oboro pointed a finger in his face. "Don't take this away from me," she barked. "I have been driving myself insane with Yukimura's STUPID paperwork. I need a break. So I'm designing outfits for tonight's concert for the royal family."

Takumi frowned as his former retainer returned to her work, measuring his shoulders. "This fabric is itchy."

"It matches your hair," Felicia chimed in, watching from a nearby chair. Oboro had finished her outfit sometime prior, which was now laying beside her.

"And I have the perfect blue thread to sew into it," Oboro added. "It'll look like the string of the Fujin Yumi. You'll look amazing."

"But it's _itchy_ ," Takumi repeated.

Oboro pulled the measuring tape tighter around his waist. "Stop moving." The prince sighed, but did his best to stay still even as the fabric dug into his skin.

As Oboro used her needle to make an adjustment, a knock at the door caught all three royals' attention. "Yow!" Takumi screeched as the needle dug into his thigh.

"Don't you dare bleed on my fabric!" Oboro yelled back, desparately folding the fabric up.

"I can't exactly help it!"

Oboro scowled as she spotted the tiniest red dot on the outfit. "Take it off and get the door," she ordered. "I think I might be able to get the stain out if I…"

Takumi wrapped his arms tightly around his mostly bare skin as Oboro ushered him to open the door and then began to dig through her bag. On the other side of the door stood none other than, "Yukimura," the prince greeted.

"Sorry to interrupt, Prince Takumi," the green-haired strategist replied. "But there is something very important that I need to borrow Lady-"

"I AM NOT LEAVING THIS ROOM!" Oboro shouted, interrupting him.

Yukimura and Takumi stared at her. "…Felicia for," Yukimura finished, adjusting his glasses.

"Me?" Felicia asked, surprised.

"Her?" Oboro asked, equally surprised.

"If you don't mind," Yukimura replied. The young bride of Takumi quickly followed him out, leaving the bickering of Oboro and Takumi behind.

"What do you need?" Felicia asked once they were down the hall a bit.

Yukimura adjusted his glasses again. "I have a… personal request for you."

"Okay?"

"As you may have noticed, I am… getting up there in years…" He cleared his throat. "Now that the king and queen have passed, things are changing. And I believe it's time for me to accept that and move on as well."

Felicia blinked, processing this. "What are you saying?"

"I am retiring, soon," Yukimura said bluntly. "And… I want you to be my replacement."

Felicia's jaw almost dropped.

…

Hana's eyes kept darting about the room as she followed Silas through Castle Krakenburg. This place had been her worst nightmare for most of her life, an idea only encouraged after the final battle - the battle where Princess Azura died - of the war took place here. Even though it was no longer the home to King Garon and should, therefore, be safe, she couldn't help but feel uncomfortable.

Silas seemed to pick up on this as he paused and took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I know this is hard for you. Thank you for coming with me."

"Of course," Hana replied, a legitimate smile appearing. She stood on her tiptoes to give her husband a kiss.

Yes, it was a hard choice to leave her home country… and her best friend and liege, Princess Sakura. But Silas was worth it.

"Get a room," Sophie teased, forcing her way in between her parents.

"Well, let's go," Silas said, and the family continued their trek.

After the war, there were many positions left vacant in Nohr. One of these was, due to the death of Hans, the commander of the Nohrian army. Leo first offered the position to Effie, but she had declined and left the castle to live alone in Windmire. His second choice was, on Nobu's recommendation, Silas.

"There you are," a kind voice said as Silas, Hana, and Sophie approached the throne room.

"Cassita!" Hana greeted. "You work in the castle again?"

The maid smiled. "Thanks to your Prince Nobu. Come along, now. The king is waiting."

…

Hinoka wordlessly handed Ryoma the papers. Ryoma glanced over them, equally silent, before meeting his sister's eyes.

"Is Rinkah alright?"

"If she isn't, she won't tell us," Hinoka replied. "As usual."

"Has anyone told Nobu?"

The princess shook her head. "Rinkah doesn't want us to. She knows he'll blame himself."

Ryoma sighed. "She's not wrong."

"He deserves to know, though. And… she needs him."

"It's her decision," Ryoma stated. "She'll tell him when she's ready."

Hinoka reluctantly nodded and turned to leave.

"What about you?"

She paused. "What do you mean?"

Ryoma stood up and walked closer to her. "We haven't really talked since the war. How are you holding up?"

Hinoka began to examine something fascinating on the floor. "I'm fine." Ryoma watched her patiently, remaining quiet. Finally, she met his gaze, the beginnings of tears forming in her eyes. "I guess I… I thought when the war ended, everything would go right back to how it used to be. I didn't think about…" Her voice cracked. "Mother and Father are still gone. And now Azura is, too. Nobu… he's grown up. He grew up in Nohr and there's nothing we can do to change that. We aren't-" She sighed and furiously wiped her eyes. "It was childish to ever think we could be the family I dreamed of."

Ryoma pulled her stiff body into a tight hug. "But we are a family, no matter what."

"I know. I'm being silly." She sighed. "Anyway, I'm supposed to go see Oboro to get an outfit for tonight."

"Right," Ryoma said, releasing her from his grip. "I'm supposed to do that, too… after I finish all of this paperwork."

Hinoka eyed his desk, almost an entire foot taller from the papers stacked atop it. "Yeah… Good luck with that." She quickly rushed out of the room.

…

Hisame stepped outside once more, looking for any sign of his missing brother. Hinata had assured him that Shigure would be back soon, but he had now been gone for most of the day and Hisame couldn't help but feel like he might never return. This time, however, he was relieved to see his brother's silhouette on the horizon. Once he was within earshot, he shouted, "There you are! Where have you been?!"

Shigure scratched his cheek. "I went for a walk."

"You've been gone for hours," Hisame scowled, crossing his arms and watching as Shigure entered the house.

"Sorry."

"Sorry? That's all you have to say?!" He angrily followed him. "Father and I were worried sick! You-"

"Calm down, Hisame," Hinata said with a chuckle as he entered the room. "Shigure's fine. I'm sure he was just spending time with his girlfriend."

Shigure's face flushed. "I was not!"

"You're both such children," Hisame muttered before disappearing upstairs.

"What's wrong with him?" Shigure asked, watching his brother disappear.

Hinata sighed. "He's been getting more and more sour ever since…" Shigure nodded, not needing to hear the end of that sentence. "Dinner will be ready soon," his father said, changing the topic. "Go get cleaned up."

"Of course, Father," Shigure replied.

…

Oboro rushed through the halls of Castle Shirasagi, poking her head into every room, before eventually running headfirst into Ippei and Jitaro. "Ow!" Oboro groaned, stumbling backwards.

"Queen Oboro! My apologies," Ippei said, kneeling. Jitaro quickly kneeled, too.

"Uh, at ease, soldiers. It's fine. I wasn't watching where I was going." The soldiers stood back up. "Have you seen Ryoma? It's almost time for the concert and I haven't even started on his outfit yet."

"No, milady," Jitaro replied.

Ippei tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I think I saw him in the courtyard."

"Thanks," Oboro said before running off.

"My pleasure, your majesty!" Ippei called after her.

Arriving in the courtyard, Oboro scanned her surroundings before spotting her husband underneath a tree, his head lying on some papers. "There you are!" she shouted as she approached, jolting him out of his sleep. "What are you doing sleeping out here?"

He rubbed his eyes drowsily. "I was hoping the fresh air would help me focus… I guess not. What time is it?"

"It's nearly noon. I need to start working on your outfit."

"But I have to finish all of these papers."

Oboro stared at him for a moment before suddenly breaking into tears and collapsing on her husband's lap. "Oboro, what's wrong?" he asked, stroking her hair.

"It's not fair!" she sobbed. "I'm so sick of all of this! I love you, Ryoma, I really do, but I'm not fit to be a queen. I just want everything to go back to normal."

Ryoma kissed her hand. "I know. I understand. I'm sorry I dragged you into this."

"No, that's not what I meant," she protested, rubbing her eyes and sitting up to look at her husband's face. "If I could go back and change my answer when you proposed, even knowing what I would have to do as queen, I still wouldn't. But… It's so hard. I haven't seen Shiro in days."

Ryoma tightly hugged her. "As soon as the concert is over, I'll tell Yukimura we're taking a vacation, just the three of us. My duties aren't as important as you are."

"Thank you," Oboro said. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Ryoma said, kissing her forehead. "Now, let's get started on that outfit."

"What about your paperwork?"

"Someone else will have to handle that."

…

"Come on, Kana! It's almost time to go!" Nobu called at the door.

"Hold on! I'm not ready yet!" she replied. "I have to finish your surprise!"

Rinkah crossed her arms and tapped her foot. Both she and Nobu were already dressed in the outfits Oboro had made for them and they were supposed to meet Takumi and Felicia for a quick lunch before the royal family left for Cyrkensia. "It'll just have to wait until after the concert, Kana!" she shouted.

Kana soon emerged, pouting. "Thank you," Rinkah muttered. "Come on. Takumi and Felicia are waiting."

…

"It seems like I'm the only one who cares about our family," Hisame grumbled, crossing his arms.

"Uh-huh," Midori replied, examining an herb. This wasn't the first time Hisame had gone on such a rant and she had long since learned it was better to just let him get it off his chest and not try to respond. Suddenly, her head popped up. "Oh no! What time is it?"

"Um…" Hisame glanced up at the sun. "Around noon, I'd say."

"I have to get back to the castle before I'm late for the concert! Mother must be worried sick."

"Concert?" Hisame asked, standing up to follow her. "What concert?"

"Didn't you hear? The royal families of Hoshido and Nohr were invited to a special concert in Cyrkensia to celebrate the end of the war."

"No, I didn't know about that."

"Well… You're part of the royal family, too," Midori remarked. "Come with me! We'll ask if your family can come along."

Hisame considered this. "Well, I guess so."

…

"And… there." Camilla stepped back to admire her handiwork.

"It's just a collar, Camilla, it doesn't take that much work," Leo complained, adjusting the rest of his outfit.

Camilla tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Well, that certainly explains why you put your collar on backwards so often." Leo glared at her. "I tease, Leo. Relax. This is supposed to be fun."

"It's also a very important moment in our country's history," Leo reminded. "The first official celebration of peace between Hoshido and Nohr."

"I suppose so," his sister sighed, moving to the other mirror to adjust her own outfit. "But at least we'll get to see Nobu again."

Leo paused for a moment before returning to his adjustments. "Right."

Camilla cocked an eyebrow. "That was an interesting reaction. Aren't you excited to see him?"

"Of course I am. I don't know what you're talking about."

Camilla crossed her arms, but didn't press the issue. "Well, we should head out to the carriage. I'm sure Silas is waiting on us."

…

Hana swung the door open and coughed as a cloud of dust flew into her lungs.

"Yuck," Sophie remarked. "When was the last time someone lived here again? Last century?"

Hana rolled her eyes as she took a step inside and put down her bags. A million thoughts ran through her head, many of them imagining a life with Sophie and Silas in this home. A few lingered in Hoshido, with Sakura and her other friends who she would now rarely see.

"I'll go get the other bags off of Avel," Sophie offered, sensing her mother's internal conflict, before scrambling outside.

Silas, as commander of the Nohrian army, would be heading Nohrian security at the Cyrkensian concert, just in case some King Garon loyalists or Hoshidan rebels decided to show up. He had asked that Hana and Sophie stay to set up their house and promised to be back by morning. Hana felt incredibly uncomfortable in Nohr without her husband but agreed to follow his request.

"Um, Mother?" Sophie's voice called from outside. Sensing the concern in her voice, Hana dashed to find her. She was surprised and a bit relieved to see Sophie standing with none other than Scarlet.

"We have a problem," Scarlet said.

…

"Everyone ready to go?" Ryoma asked as Nobu, Rinkah, Kana, Takumi, Felicia, and Kiragi approached.

"Uh… are we supposed to be dressed up?" Hisame whispered to Midori, suddenly feeling self-conscious compared to everyone else. Particularly with the food stains on his father's outfit.

"No, you're fine," Oboro, who overheard, assured. "I didn't have time to make you anything anyway." Hisame nodded, but still felt uncomfortable.

"Hello, everyone!" Reina called as she approached.

"Oh, right," Ryoma said, turning to the rest of the family. "I hope no one minds, but I invited Reina, too. Since she's retiring from the Hoshidan army."

"Aunty Reina!" Kana cheered, running over to her. Reina took the child up in her arms.

"Now, if that's everyone, let's be off," Ryoma said, taking his wife's hand and squeezing it.

…

Shura darted through the streets of Cheve, his senses alert for signs of life. As soon as he heard a foot step onto a broken piece of stone not far away, he hid behind a building, gripped his bow, and caught his breath before stepping around the corner and aiming at the subject. "Who goes there?" he demanded.

"Whoa! Calm down!" Scarlet said, stepping back and putting her hands up. Shura, relieved, put his bow away.

"Okay, what's going on here?" Hana asked. Scarlet had flown her on her wyvern to Cheve with little explanation.

Shura crossed his arms. "Are you sure we can trust her?" Hana looked offended.

"She's the only person I could get on short notice," Scarlet replied. "And she's an ally."

"Fine," Shura sighed. "But not here. Come along. We'll be safe at her house."

"Her house? Who is she?" Hana asked, stifling a groan before following them, desperate to find out what was going on.

…

"Orooooooochiiiiiii?" Kaden called as he ran through Castle Shirasagi in kitsune form. "Hellooooo? Where are you?" Finally, his nose caught her familiar scent and he tracked her into a locked room. Transforming back to a human, he knocked. "I know you're in there! What're you up to?"

As he reached to knock again, the door suddenly swung open, knocking him away. Orochi, looking crazed and unrested, emerged. "Where's King Ryoma?"

"Ow…" Kaden muttered, holding his nose. When he looked up to see his wife, though, he was distracted from the pain. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine! Where is the king?!"

"Have you slept or eaten? You need to-"

"Kaden! This is important!"

"Okay! Okay! Uh…" Kaden focused. "I think they were leaving for Cyrken-"

" _NO!_ " Orochi shouted. "We have to stop them!" She took off running.

"Orochi, wait up!"

…

"I don't know why you insisted I come along," Laslow muttered to Selena and Odin as the carriage made its way to Cyrkensia.

"It'll be good for you," Selena replied. "Now shut up and start enjoying yourself."

"Why are we even still here?" Laslow asked. "Our mission is complete. The war is over."

"And what about Anankos?"

Laslow sighed. "What do you think, Owain?"

When he didn't immediately answer, both Selena and Laslow turned to Odin and realized something was wrong. "Owain?" Selena asked. "What's wrong?"

Odin forced a slight smile. "Lord Leo… asked if I wanted to be Nohr's official tactician."

"What?!"

…

Rinkah looked at her husband, noticing the pensive look on his face. "Nobu, you okay?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah," he replied. "Just… I don't know. Something feels off."

"We're here," Jakob announced from the front of the carriage.

…

"Effie, it's me," Shura said as he knocked on the door.

"Effie? Who's Effie?" Hana asked.

"Lady Elise's retainer," Scarlet replied in a whisper. "But don't mention it. She's still… um, recovering."

Effie sighed as she opened the door. "I told you, my house is not your home base."

"I'm sorry," Scarlet said. "But we needed somewhere safe."

"Well… Come on in, then."

…

"Where's the king?!" Orochi demanded as she arrived outside, scaring Jitaro.

"Um- err- they just left," he replied, regaining commposure.

"No!"

Kaden panted, finally catching up. "Orochi, what's going on?"

Orochi folded her hands and steadied her breathing. "Something… Something awful… No, something _horrific_ will happen in Cyrkensia tonight."

…

Layla took a deep breath as the stage manager cued her. "Break a leg, sweetie!" Nahla whispered, squeezing her shoulder. Layla smiled and stepped out onto the stage to the sounds of thunderous applause.

"Hello, everyone! Thank you all for coming out to the show," she announced. "A special thanks to the royal families of Hoshido and Nohr. I know I speak for all of Cyrkensia when I say we look forward to seeing what your kingdoms can accomplish united." More thunderous applause. "I have been asked to perform for you today. I hope you enjoy the show!"

As she moved to her first position, the theater suddenly went black. "What's going on?" the stage manager asked from the wings. Layla began to panic. "I should have known something would go wrong…" she whispered to herself. But she was pulled out of her self-pity when a faint blue light appeared in the center of the room.

 _"PEOPLE OF HOSHIDO AND NOHR…"_

"What's going on?" Silas asked as he arrived in the wings. The stage manager frantically shrugged.

 _"…YOUR TIME IS UP."_

…

Orochi, Kaden, Jitaro, and Minori had boarded a carriage and were on their way to Cyrkensia when suddenly Orochi's face dropped.

"What's wrong?" Kaden asked.

"We're too late."

Before the diviner could elaborate further, a distant, earth-shaking explosion knocked the carriage onto its side.

 **The end!**

 **Nah. This is barely even the beginning.**

 **I didn't quite cover everything I wanted to before this point in the story but meh.**

 **Leave a review, please!**


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